Machine for making battery-plates



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} MAGHINE FOR MAKING BATTERY PLATES. No. 391,542. qr Patented Oct. 23,1888. 4 m w l (2 awn/1 0%, ym/WM, v @224; MM

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MAGHINE 'FOR MAKING BATTERY PLATES. No. 391,542. Patented Oct. 23, 1888,

(No Model.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

A.F.M-ADDEN. MACHINE FOR MAKING BATTERY PLATES.

N0.'391,542. Patented 001;. 23. 1888.

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ALBERT FRANKLIN MADDEN, OF NElVAEK, NEWV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE ELECTRICAL AGGUMULATOR COMPANY, OF NEWV YORK.

iVlACl-HNE FOR MAKING BATTERY PLATES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 310391542, dated October 23, 1888.

Application filed February 28, 1888. Serial No. 265,615. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT FRANKLIN MADDEN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newark, in the county of Essex g and State of New Jersey, have invented ceri tain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Manufacturing Secondary-Battery Plates, of which the following is a specification.

[ My invention is an improvement in apparatus for pressing the plates or supports to which an active or absorptive material is applied in the process of manufacturing sccondary-battery elements.

The form of the plate or support I prefer is that of a plate having numerous closely-arranged cells, receptacles, or perforations sepa rated from each other by walls of uniform thickness, and I prefer to form such a plate from a sheet or plate of lead.

The apparatus embraces a die which consists of two series of parallel strips or plates, one series the desired thickness of the walls between the perforations, the other series of plates having a series of teeth or projections,

each projection being separated from the one immediately adjoining by a space equal to the desired thickness of the walls between the perforations, the form and size of these teeth or projections being the form and size of the desired perforations or cells to be made in the plates. These strips, formed as described, are placed parallel in a metal frame of considerable strength and solidity. They are adj ustable with respect to the space between any two strips, and one series of strips are movable vertically to act as ejectors for the pressed plate, while the other series remains substantially fixed. Th ere is a groove around the entire die designed to give the required outline to the plate, and there is a plunger having a fiat face or surface with a rim fittinginto the said groove. The face or contact-surface of the plunger is roughened or serrated, so as to prevent the lead from spreading. This plunger is operated by suitable hydraulic or steam power to press the lead into the die, and there is a cutter moving over the face of the die, after the plunger is withdrawn,\vhich operates to remove the surplus lead from the face of the die.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure l is a plan view of the complete apparatus, excepting the plunger. Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the die and operative mechanism more in detail. Fig. 4 is a cross-section on line 4 4i, Figs.8 and 5. Fig. 5 is a side view showing the means for operating the ejectors by an eccentric movement. Fig. 6 shows the face of the plunger, having a roughened, serrated, or gripping surface.

In Fig. 1, F is a frame of iron or steel having'considerable strength or solidity. It is 6 preferably formed from a casting substantially square, with a square opening.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, D and (Z are two series of strips. Together they form the principal part of the die. They are arranged parallel and alternately, as shown in Fig. 1. The outline of both series is shown by d, Fig. 2. D, however, has a series of teeth or projections,

1), Figs. Zand 3. The spacebetween two teeth bis equal to the desired thickness of the walls between the cells, receptacles, or perforations of the finished product, and the plate (Z is the same thickness.

The frame F, Fig. 2, upon two opposite sides of the rectangular opening is provided with shoulders S S. All plates D and d are provided with similar shoulders or projections at opposite ends, taking against shoulders S S; but there is a space, 8 s, between the shoulders of plates ti and the shoulders S S to allow of a vertical movement for these plates.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 5, all plates cl are perforated with round holes it, one hole near each end. All plates D are perforated with oval holes in line with holes in (Z. There are 0 two rods, R It. The rod R extends completely through the holes in one end of both series of strips D and d. The other rod, R, extends completely through the holesin the other end of both series of strips D and d. These two 5 rods are given a reciprocating movement sidewise by the mechanism next described.

A A are arms having four hubs or bearings, B B, in the frame F, Figs. 4 and 5. Projections therefrom are united by pitmen P and P. The free ends of arms A and A have a reciprocating movement. The rods R and R are eccentrically placed in bearings or boxes x in the rotary bearings B B. The result is that when arms A and A are reciprocated rods R It move up and down and move plates d,

having round holes, up and down, the extent of movement being about equal to the longer axis of the oval holes in plates D, which remain at rest.

I I are slabs of iron, the upper surface of which contains a groove, 9, forming the rim or boundary of the finished product, the groove forming a continuation thereof and uniting the groove 9 in I, and I is in the end of the plates D and d. I may thus vary the dimensions of the finished product by taking out two, four, or more plates D and d and placing them behind the plate I. The die is thus completed, but contracted. All elements I I D d have slight spaces between their meeting surfaces, except at points near opposite edges for mechanical reasons and to provide for a slight spring desirable to perfection in the action.

In order that no material maybe forced between the sections of the die,it is necessary to press the contact-surfaces tightly together. To accomplish this the surface of I toward the surface of t and the surface i of frame F are inclined to each other, as shown, and a wedge, W, extending nearly the length of the plates to produce an even pressure, is operated by a pair of cam-surfaces, c c, and a crank or handle, a, held in position by set-nuts it.

Q is a plunger or any suitable means for forcing material into the die. It has a rim fitting into groove This forms the outline of the plate and prevents the material from spreading. The face of the plunger Q is serrated, indented, or cut, substantially as shown in Fig. 6, so that a grip or hold may be taken upon the material. This also acts to prevent it from spreading. After the material-ms lead, let us snpposehas been forced into shape in the die and the plunger withdrawn, there remains some surplus material between the plunger and the die. To remove this, I provide a table, t, in line with the surface of the die, and a knife, K, caused to move across such surface under-guides G GT by suitable means, consisting of fixed rack r,movable rack 1", attached to the knife, wheel w, and arm a.

The apparatus operates as follows: Assuming that to start the plates D d are firmly and tightly forced together, and that the plates d are at their lowest position, metallic lead in any desired form: or shapecast, rolled, or pressed-sis placed upon the die and the proper power applied to the plunger Q. Q is now elevated and the arm a operated, causing the knife to pass over the surface of the die and remove the surplus material 6. The arm a is then turned, releasing wedge W and removing lateral pressure from the plates. The arms Aare now operated by depressing them, thus causing rods R R to rise, carrying with them plates (1 and ejecting the finished product.

\Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An apparatus for pressing or stampingv secondary-battery plates, consisting of a die composed of two series of parallel strips, one series being the complementary part to the other series, in combination with a plunger to apply the required power or pressure.

2. In an apparatus for the described purpose, a die in two or more sections, each section consisting of aseries of substantially parallel strips, one of which sections is movable with respect to the other for the purpose of ejecting the finished product, combined with means for applying the required power or pressure, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus for the described purpose, a die in two or more sections, each section consisting of a series of substantially parallel strips, one of which sections is adjustable latitudinally with respect to the other, so that the said sections may be either clamped together or rendered free to move, combined with a suitable device to apply the required power or pressure, substantially as described.

4. In apparatus for pressing lead or other plates, a die having two complementary sections, each section composed of a series of substantially similar elementary parts, the number of which may be varied to vary the size of the product, combined with a suitable device to apply the required power or pressure, substantially as described.

5. A die having two complementary sections, each section consisting of a series of substantially similar plates or elementary parts, said sections being movable with respect to each other in two directions, combined with a suitable device, as a plunger, for applying the power or pressure, substantially as described.

6. In an apparatus for pressinglead or other metal plates, a frame of iron having shoulders upon two opposite sides, a die fitting therein composed of twoor more complementary sections, each section consisting of a series of substantially similar plates or elementary parts having ashoulder taking against the shoulders of the said frame, means for adjusting the position of said sections with respect to each other, and a plunger operating to force the metal into the die.

7. In an apparatus for pressing or stamping metal plates, a frame of iron having shoulders upon two opposite sides, a die fitting therein composed of two or more complementary sections, each section composed of a series of substantially similar elementary parts having shoulders taking against the shoulders of the frame, the elementary parts of one series being movable with respect to those of the other series, whereby the finishedproduct may be ejected, and a suitable device for forcing the metal into the die.

8. In an apparatus'for the described purpose, the combination of a die having the form of the desired product, a power-driven plun- ICC IIO

ger for forcing the metal into the die, and a knife or plane moving over the surface of the die to cut away or remove the surplus material.

9. In an apparatus for the described purpose, a die having substantially the form of the desired product, combined with a plunger for forcing the metal into the die, said plunger having a roughened or serrated face,whereby spreading is prevented, substantially as described.

10. In a die for the described purpose, the combination of two series of parallel and complementary sections, each element of one series having one or more round holes, each element of the other section having one or more oval holes, one or more rods passing through the elements of both sections, and means for reciprocating such rod or rods latitudinally.

11. A die composed of two complementary 20 sections, each section consisting of a series of substantially similar elementary parts, the elementary parts of one section differing in form or outline with respect to those of the other ALBERT FRANKLIN MADDEN.

Vitnesses:

FREDERICK EDER, WM. B. VANSIZE. 

